The Horror Of Sleepy Hollow Returns To Old Sturbridge Village

Old Sturbridge Village is a history museum that depicts a rural town in the 1830s, complete with homes, meeting houses, a school, a store, a bank, a farm, a covered bridge, mills and dozens of villagers in period-perfect costumes.

And, starting at the end of September, when Halloween will be just around the corner, a Headless Horseman.

“The Sleepy Hollow Experience,” an outdoor-theater musical adaptation of Washington Irving’s legendary horror story, will be performed in Sturbridge from Sept. 27 to Oct. 29.

This will be the second year that the Serenbe Playhouse of Atlanta has traveled to Massachusetts to perform the show. Last year, tickets to 33 performances sold out far in advance. This year, 40 performances are scheduled, and each performance allows 250 sepectators. Half of the tickets are already sold, says OSV spokesman Michael Arnum.

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was published in 1820 in a collection of short stories by Irving. It tells the story of Ichabod Crane, a schoolmaster in Tarrytown, N.Y. Crane is terrified by a vision of a headless horseman, who is said to be the ghost of a soldier decapitated during the American Revolution.

Over the years, in film and TV adaptations, writers have made changes to the original story. Brian Clowdus, who wrote and directs “The Sleepy Hollow Experience,” says his version sticks closely to Irving’s vision, which mixed laughs in with the chills.

“There is humor in our story. I always think that people get the most scared when they are laughing and forget they’re watching a scary story and then there is a scare,” Clowdus says in a phone interview. “And when you’re in the middle of the woods and it’s all darkness and you hear a horse behind you, I don’t think anything is scarier than that.”

Even his changes maintain the spirit of the Irving’s narrative, Clowdus says: “In the original short story, there are auxiliary ghosts that aren’t the Headless Horseman, like the Woman in White and Major Andre. I’ve woven their stories into this adaptation as well.”

Five principal performers play all the named roles in the show. In addition, 10 people Clowdus calls “creepy critters” help out.

“They wear scary Venetian masks and cloaks,” Clowdus says. They add to the spooky vibe and they act as guides for the audience, to direct people where to go.”

All of Serenbe’s productions are site-specific outdoor shows. Sturbridge is the first venue, other than the home in Atlanta, that “Sleepy Hollow Experience” has been performed. Clowdus was approached three years ago and was brought to Sturbridge.

“I was just blown away by the potential. The set was already here,” he says. “They have a covered bridge, a schoolhouse. Everything we needed was here.”

The show is performed in several places at the village. The audience stands the entire time during the 90-minute presentation and follows the performers around the village. During intermission, the actors stay in costume and in character and interact with the audience.

Clowdus described his show as having “a modern steampunk vibe” and says there is a little off-color humor but no gore.

“The scariest stories aren’t guys with chainsaws. They’re ghost stories,” he says. “This ghost story is classic. I wanted to keep it alive for a modern audience.”

Scott McCarthy of Sturbridge saw the show last year with his wife and two young daughters. He said the outdoor, interactive nature of the show made it especially enjoyable.

“You’re not just sitting still watching a show. You’re outside, moving from scene to scene throughout the village. The actors engage the crowd,” McCarthy says. “The actors were good. It was a nice night outside in the fall.”

His kids’ favorite part was, unsurprisingly, the story’s most famous element. “It’s pretty cool to see the Headless Horseman come through the covered bridge,” he says.

THE SLEEPY HOLLOW EXPERIENCE will be at Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road in Sturbridge, Mass., from Sept. 27 to Oct. 29, Wednesday through Sunday, rain or shine. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. daily, with 9:30 shows also on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $30 Wednesday and Thursday; $35 Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Advance purchase is strongly recommended. Each performance will hold 250 people. Ichabod’s Tavern will be open two hours before each event. The show is not recommended for children younger than 10. osv.org.

.galleries:after {
content: ”;
display: block;
background-color: #c52026;
margin: 16px auto 0;
height: 5px;
width: 100px;

}
.galleries:before {
content: “Local Entertainment Videos”;
display: block;
font: 700 23px/25px Belizio,Georgia,’Droid Serif’,serif;
text-align: center;
color: #1e1e1e;
}